Creamy Potato Tart with Fennel, Leeks and Fresh Garlic

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I know it's not the "seasonal" thing to be posting potatoes.  In the oven no less.  But as I said here, summer has not quite settled in yet.  Besides, freshly dug potatoes, no matter the season, are not something I can easily ignore...

Especially when paired with fresh spring goodies like fennel, leeks, and still-moist, just dug, pristine white garlic.  All you need then is the cream.  Okay, half n half, but no less.  If you're watching fat, consider this a once-in-a-while treat. Which it is. Believe me.

The success of this dish is dependent on slicing the potatoes and aromatics very thinly, which I achieved by using a mandoline, an essential tool in any cook's kitchen.  The cream poured around and through the layers is taken up by the potatoes, rendering a tender, succulent, melt-in-your-mouth finished dish.  And although I wanted the taste of freshly chopped parsley here, feel free to experiment with other fresh herbs.

Christine's Creamy Potato Tart with Fennel, Leeks and Fresh Garlic
(print recipe)
Ingredients:
3 large Yukon Gold potatoes
1 medium fennel bulb
2 leeks, white and light green parts only
4 cloves garlic
3/4 to 1 cup cream or half n half
olive oil, sea salt, black pepper

Preparation:
Using a very sharp knife and your best cutting skills, or a mandoline for ease of the task, slice the peeled potatoes along their length, the cleaned fennel from the bottom of the bulb to where the fronds begin to form, the leeks from the bottom up to the light green parts, and the garlic cloves along their length. Keep everyone in their separate pile.
Pre-heat the oven to 350-degrees.
Heat a 10-inch cast iron or other heavy skillet to medium, add a few teaspoons olive oil, tilting the pan to coat, then add the fennel, leeks and garlic and sauté until they are softened but not browned, about 5 - 7 minutes, stirring often.  Remove to a plate, scraping out the pan.
Off heat, add another teaspoon or so of olive oil to the pan and tilt until the oil covers the surface.  Layer the potatoes in an overlapping circle, spiraling in toward the center, until the bottom of the pan is covered. Make two layers of potatoes this way.
Sprinkle the potatoes with a pinch or more of sea salt and a few grindings of black pepper, then spread the aromatic sauté over the top, covering the potatoes completely.
Make two more layers of potatoes on top of the sauté, sprinkle with a bit more sea salt, a few more grinding of black pepper, then pour the cream over and around the layers.
Bake, covered, for 1 hour or until the potatoes are very soft and the tart is bubbly.
Remove the cover and bake 10 minutes longer to brown the top.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool for about 10 minutes, sprinkle with chopped parsley, slice and serve.

Another potato dish I've made is similar but not quite the same as this.  The addition of cream or half n half (really, use the cream) makes the potatoes and sautéed aromatics practically melt in the pan, melding their tastes together. The result is a thinner, smoother, more homogenized, if you will, creation.  It seems like it should be akin to scalloped potatoes, but it isn't. In my humble opinion.

Oops!  I forgot to say that the potatoes should be peeled, the leeks washed and outer layer removed, the garlic peeled, and the fennel washed, fronds and bottom stem removed and any blemishes removed with a vegetable peeler.

Bon appétit!

Copyright © 2005-2010, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Chevre (soft goat cheese), Fresh Corn, Thyme and Potato Croutons

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Highs in the low sixties, lows dipping into the low to mid-40s, with a brisk (read cold) north wind off the ocean, no less, led to the creation of this soup last night. (That and what happened to be in fridge, pantry and garden.)  We are, in mid-June - almost the Solstice, experiencing early spring weather which includes cold north winds that can make your bones rattle, and cloudy-sunny-cloudy days with an occasional rain shower thrown in for good measure.  (The wind:  Good for the ocean becauses it causes a phenomenon called upwelling, which brings cold water up from the depths, cooling off the surface and bringing fish food with it; not so good for humans who suffer from allergies, arthritis and/or are prone to anxiety. This wind even makes cats nervous.)

Fear not, those of you living blissfully in hotter climes, for the soup you see before you is quite versatile.  Serve it up hot when it's cold out and cold when it's hot out, the only caveat being that you do have to cook it over a stove, which may not appeal to those living in 90-plus temps.  If that's the case, save the recipe for cooler weather.

Cauliflower is the main ingredient, the potato is added for thickening and making the cute little croutons, the corn kernels add interest and a gentle crunch.

The leek, fresh spring onion,

and early China Rose garlic are from our local and best-beloved farmers market.

Then there's The chevre - ah, the chevre. Made right here, 12 or so miles from my kitchen, it is soft but not gooey. It breaks into snowy-white pieces that leave streaks in the hot soup as it melts, then combines thoroughly, adding a creaminess, tang, and deep note you must taste to appreciate.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Chevre, Fresh Corn, Thyme and Potato Croutons
(Print Recipe)

Christine's original take on Potato-Leek Soup and Vichyssoise

Ingredients:

1 leek, white and light green parts only, washed and thinly sliced

1 spring onion, red or white, thinly sliced

6-7 cloves garlic, fresh if you can find it, minced

2 medium heads white cauliflower, cut into small florets

1 large yukon gold potato, peeled, cut into small cubes, about 2 cups

4 cups organic, low-sodium chicken stock, or your own home made version

Juice from 1/2 of a Meyer Lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

4-ounces fresh chevre (I used the herbed kind) broken into small pieces, room temperature

4-6 sprigs fresh thyme, left whole

White corn kernels cut from 1 ear of corn

Sea salt and freshly ground black peppercorns to taste

Olive oil and unsalted butter for the pan

Preparation:

Heat a large stockpot (soup pot) over medium heat. Add several teaspoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter and allow to melt.  Sauté the leek, onion and garlic until soft but not browned - you may have to adjust the heat to prevent scorching.

Add the cauliflower florets, chicken stock and 1 1/2 cups of the potato cubes, reserving the remaining cubes for the croutons (see below).  Stir the pot and bring to a low boil.

Add the lemon juice, toss in the thyme sprigs, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, until the cauliflower and potatoes are quite tender, about 20 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat, remove the thyme sprigs from the soup (the small leaves should have fallen from the stems by now) and, using an immersion blender*, blend the soup until it is creamy-smooth with just a few small chunks of potato lurking about. (Little chunks of potato give the soup character, in my humble opinion, but you can make it as smooth as a baby's bottom if that floats your boat.)

Stir in the fresh corn kernels now, do not heat; the soup will be hot enough to cook them within 2 minutes.

Stir in the chevre, let the pieces sit a minute or two then stir until all the cheese has melted.

Now you can taste and adjust the seasonings with sea salt and good freshly-ground black pepper.

To Serve:

Ladle hot soup into large, flat bowls, top with a few potato croutons and a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves.

To serve cold, allow the soup to cool at room temperature for 20 or so minutes then chill, uncovered, in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.  Stir before serving, without the potato croutons. Thin soup, if desired, with more chicken stock or water.

To make the potato croutons:

In a heavy skillet, heat about 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high.  Add the remaining cubes of potatoes and saute, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are golden brown on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside. Toss with a sprinkling of sea salt and remove from the heat.

While the potatoes are still hot in the pan, add a teaspoon or so of unsalted butter, a pinch of sweet paprika, and toss until the butter has melted and glazed the potatoes.  Serve as a garnish with the soup. Try not to eat too many beforehand ... 

The soup will be very, very hot when removed from the heat so take great care when using an immersion blender to not splatter yourself.  If you do not own an immersion blender (and how can that be?), you can blend the soup in a food processor in small batches. Take care not to overfill the processor bowl as the hot soup will expand when being processed and could overflow the bowl.

I appeal to you lovely cooks to seek out fresh, local and organic food products whenever possible.

When you're trying to read a blog post, do you find those pop-up links that block out text annoying?  I do. That's why you won't find them on this blog.  What you will find are links to the very items I use when preparing the recipe I've made and posted.  These items are for sale in my Amazon Store and may be accessed by clicking on the icon in the sidebar.

Bon Appétit!

Copyright © 2005-2010, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Pausing to Remember my Brother

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Dear Readers,

I've been struggling with how to let you know the reason for my silence without seeming to be soliciting condolences, but eloquent words are not forthcoming so I'll just blurt it out:  My brother passed away on Tuesday, June 8th. For almost a month prior to that, my head just wasn't into creating new recipes and all the stuff that food bloggers do.  I'm not sure it is yet.  You can see a small tribute to him, if you would like, on my garden blog. The flowers are from my garden. My brother would have liked them.

I suppose I could write and write and write about how I'm feeling right now, and believe me I've got a lot of feelings. But the words won't come and it seems that the process must be silent. So I'll just take the time I need and get back here when I am able.  I know you will understand.

The farmers market is in full swing and produce abounds. I'm sure I'll be cooking soon.

Copyright © 2005-2010, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Retirement Can Be Messy

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Putting order into chaos is messy business. What initially prevails is more chaos. And that can be very disconcerting when what you are trying to accomplish is order. Many of you will know of what I speak - conceptually.

I actually have no excuse for succumbing to chaos other than that I am often easily overwhelmed when faced with too many decisions and, evidently, too much time in which to make them.  If I look back on my life's history, it's easy to see that I accomplished the most when I had the least amount of time in which to do the accomplishing. (There's a Murphy's Law in there somewhere, I'm sure of it.)

This week marks a rather distinctive milestone: I have just gained more personal time by dropping down to a three-day work week (I retired, then immediately began a curtailed work schedule) which will, I am sure, after the order sets in, result in more free time for me to pursue the things that retired, or semi-retired, people do. For me that would be recipe development, cooking, photography and the constant learning thereof, gardening, blogging, travel ...  I have a long list.

So you'd think, with the onset of my first four consecutive days off, that I would just get to the business of doing all those things that I love while catching up on some of those not so pleasant chores that can get shoved into corners waiting for when I have the "time" to do them.

Hmpf.

Laziness set in almost immediately. What I put on the list of things to do for the first day quickly got moved to the list of things I would do on the second day, which then got moved to the list of the things I would do on the third day.  And now it's the fourth day.  I haven't even answered comments; something I find as abhorrent as telling your best friend he/she should go suck eggs.

The laundry piled up while I was outside sitting with my face lifted to the (finally!) warm sun. Spiders made cobwebs in corners while I took leisurely walks. Dust settled on tabletops and house plants while I pulled a weed here, mowed a strip of grass there, talked to my horse, my chickens, my dog; anything but catch up with chores, cook something exciting, research a recipe, take a spectacular photo.

Waiting to be planted tomato seedlings wilted in the greenhouse while I read a cooking magazine. Dinner didn't get started until 9 PM while I spent hours in that zone you can get lost in while looking up something on the Internet, then forgetting what it was you were looking for in the first place.

It's the fourth day and here I sit with a list a mile long, facing my three-day work week then a long weekend out of town from which I will return to go straight to my three-day work week, then another long weekend out of town.  See what I mean?  Chaos.  For this I (semi) retired?

Recipes are waiting in the wings. Maybe with the looming time scrunch I'll get some posted. But first I have to go put order into that chaotic pile of laundry. Then maybe brush away a cob web or two.

One baby step at a time ...

Have a great week!

Copyright © 2005-2010, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Sautéed Savoy Cabbage with Fennel, Spring Onion, Green Garlic and Orange Peel

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I don't always enjoy the weather here in our northern climes.  Sometimes I'm really grumpy about the rain.  And sometimes I'm awfully tired of being cold.  But when I can walk into my local co-op grocery store from October to right now, and buy a beautiful head of locally grown savoy cabbage, I get all warm inside.

We've been eating a lot of this stuff.  It's sweeter and crunchier than those big round balls of green and purple cabbage that go into cole slaw, cooks up quickly, makes a beautiful bed for roasted fish, is a nutritious filler for stir-frys, its crinkly leaves can be parboiled and stuffed (oh, just gave myself an idea), and it can even be eaten raw.

Back here when I roasted the duck, I said I would post the cabbage you see on the plate. So even though I didn't get a good photo of it, then or since, I think the recipe is so fine that I'm going to make good on my promise.  Then you can take your own photo.

I used a Cara Cara orange in this recipe, a short season variety that is no longer available up here. If you can't find one, substitute Meyer lemon, navel orange, or sweet tangerine peel.  Be sure to remove all the bitter white pith from the inside of the peel, then slice it finely into 1 to 2-inch strips.

Fresh fennel, spring onion and green garlic are always in my fridge this time of year; I can't get enough of them.  If you have access to them in your area, go get 'em.  They are such a compliment to so many spring dishes, not the least of which is this simple and quick sautéed melange.

Everything is thinly sliced before sautéeing.  To prepare the cabbage, cut the head in half and cut out the solid core. I found that cutting it into quarters made the slicing easier.

Cut the fronds from the fennel bulb and peel the outer layer if it's tough. Cut it in half and thinly slice crosswise.

Remove the outer layer of skin from both the spring onion and green garlic, slice off the roots and thinly slice the bulbs up to the neck of the stalk for the onion, and up to where the white goes pink then turns to green for the garlic.


Sautéed Savoy Cabbage with Fennel, Spring Onion, Green Garlic & Orange Peel
(print recipe)
Christine's original recipe
Ingredients:
1 medium head savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
1 spring onion, thinly sliced
1 green garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 of a fennel bulb, thinly sliced
Peel from 1/2 of a Cara Cara orange, thinly sliced
Juice from 1 Cara Cara orange
Olive oil for the pan
Fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper to taste
A dash of dry white wine wouldn't hurt either (what can I say? I just add when the whim hits me, and I don't measure.)

Preparation:
Heat a heavy skillet over medium.  Add several teaspoons of olive oil.
Sauté the fennel, onion and garlic until softened, about 3 minutes. Adjust the heat so it doesn't burn.
Add the orange strips and toss to coat.  Add the cabbage, orange juice and white wine, if using, and toss with tongs until the cabbage is coated with the liquid.
Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, turning often with the tongs.  When the liquid is but a glaze in the bottom of the pan, the cabbage will be wilted but with a slight crispness to it.
Remove the pan from the heat, season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper if desired.  Serve while it's hot.

Happy Eating! 

Copyright © 2005-2010, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Oven Roasted Halibut Fillet with a Relish of Blood Orange, Meyer Lemon, Green Garlic and Spring Red Onion

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Slender stalks of green garlic and tender spring onions are fleeting seasonal delicacies that should be snatched up from your green grocers or farmers markets while they are still available.

Green garlic is a mild immature version of its grown up dried self, pulled from the ground before its bulbs form, and can be used now in fish dishes, light soups, sauces, and relishes such as the one featured here.

Spring onions are simply yellow, white or red onion youngsters; slim and delicate, mild and sweet.

Pair these two kids with the puckery flavors of blood orange and Meyer lemon and you've got a mouthwatering topping for a thick mild white fish like halibut. Cod, rockfish and sablefish will work just as well, but may take less time to roast depending on their thickness.

The cooking method used here is fast and easy.  Prepare the relish while the halibut is roasting in the oven; they will both be finished at the same time, ready to serve in about one-half hour from prep to plate.

A perfect springtime weeknight offering.

Roast Halibut Fillet with a Relish of Blood Orange, Meyer Lemon, Green Garlic and Spring Red Onion

Christine's original recipe
(print recipe)

Ingredients:

1-pound piece of halibut fillet

1 large Meyer lemon

1 small blood orange

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 teaspoon gray salt with herbs (sel gris aux herbes)

2 sprigs fresh oregano plus 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, chopped

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 green garlic stalk and 1 spring red onion stalk

Halibut Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Oil the bottom of a ceramic baking dish. Set aside.

Rinse fillet under cold water and gently pat dry.

Place fillet in baking dish, skin side down (skin removed) and rub the top with olive oil.

Sprinkle the fillet with the herb salt and cover the top of the fish with lemon slices. Reserve the remainder of the lemon.

Lay the oregano sprigs over the lemon slices.

Roast for 15 to 18 minutes or until the fish is cooked through but still very moist. It should be springy when pushed with your finger.

Meanwhile ...

Relish Preparation:

Wash both the green garlic and the spring onion stalks. Remove the outer layer of skin from each, slice off the root ends and thinly slice each one crosswise until you reach the neck.  (The necks may be saved for soup stock.)

Using a sharp knife and working over a bowl to catch the juices, remove the skin, seeds, white pith and membrane from the blood orange and the remainder of the Meyer lemon. Chop each citrus separately, reserving juices.

Heat a skillet over medium low and add 1 teaspoon or so of olive oil.

Sauté the green garlic and spring onion slices for about 1 and 1/2 minutes, stirring to separate the rings, until they are softened but not browned.

Add both chopped citruses and their juice to the pan, stir and sauté 2 minutes more, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.

Add the white wine, stir, turn the heat up to medium high and cook until the liquid is reduced by one half.

Stir in the chopped oregano and continue cooking until the pan is almost dry, 1 minute more.

You may have to adjust the heat as you go along to prevent the relish from burning.

Remove the pan from the heat.

To serve, remove the oregano sprigs and lemon slices from the roast halibut and slice the fish into serving size pieces.  Place on warm plates, top with the relish and a few more sprinklings of herb salt.

Enjoy! 

Cook's Notes:
Sel gris aux herbes may be found in my Amazon store. Click on the link in the sidebar.

Copyright © 2005-2010, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Gently Sautéed Fresh Asparagus with Sel de Guérande and Meyer Lemon

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The simplest plate of a single vegetable is sometimes the best plate on the table.

I'm a staunch proponent of roasting vegetables to bring out their flavors and concentrate their sweetness and I dearly love to roast asparagus.  But these California babies are sautéed and boy are they delicious.

Good olive oil, sel de guérande, a squeeze of Meyer lemon juice - those and the freshest asparagus you can find along with a light hand with the sauté pan are all you will need.

Oh Happy Spring!

Sautéed Asparagus with Sel de Guérande and Meyer Lemon

(print recipe)

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh asparagus

1-2 teaspoons good, fruity olive oil

A pinch or two of a good fleur de sel (French sea salt, see my sidebar)

Juice from 1/2 of a small Meyer lemon plus extra wedges for serving

Preparation:

Gently wash the asparagus under cool water. Pat dry with a dish towel.

Pick up a spear with both hands, holding it as if you were going to bite into an ear of corn.

Gently bend the spear and allow it to snap where it wants, using your thumbs to help bend the spear. (This ensures that the woody end will not end up on your plate. If your asparagus spears are very thin and don't have woody ends, you could lay them out on a cutting board so the bottom ends align, then cut off about one inch of those ends.)

Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan 12-inch pan (I use cast iron for this) over medium high.

When the oil is hot but not smoking, lower the heat to medium, add the asparagus in a single layer, sprinkle with a generous pinch of sea salt and let cook for 2 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to coat each spear with olive oil.

Using tongs, gently turn the spears so they can cook on all sides, no more than another 3 minutes. The spears should be easy to bite into with just a little resistance - in other words, al dente.

Remove the pan from the heat and squeeze the lemon juice over the spears. Shake the pan to distribute the juices and using the tongs, transfer the asparagus to warm plates.

Sprinkle with another pinch of sea salt if desired and serve with additional wedges of Meyer lemon.

Bon appétit!

 

Copyright © 2005-2010, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved